Timetable and Results

The research programme commenced at the beginning of February 2008. All the research will be completed by the spring of 2010 to be ready for the project launch later that year.

Since February 2009 research has been completed in Birmingham, Bristol, Dublin, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Stoke, Nottingham, Wales and is ongoing in Newcastle and London. Investigations in Aberdeen, Belfast and Liverpool will take place later in 2009.

Excellent progress towards delivering authoritative data on c.3,000-3,500 sculptors and c.900-1,100 related businesses active in Britain and Ireland between 1851-1951 has already been made. At the end of the first year of research (31/1/09) there were c.37,000 records in the six main tables: People, Objects, Organizations, Events, Places, References. This includes initial data on c.4,700 sculptors and c.7,000 related businesses. The total number of sculptors will be reduced by c.30% and related businesses by c.5% after overlapping records have been merged. As the research progresses, it is expected there will be fewer newly discovered sculptors. The number of related businesses (above) is based on initial results from trade directories, the final total of those most significant to sculpture will be a smaller group defined by analysis of the research outcomes. Allowing for these reductions, the project has already increased the existing knowledge base on sculptors by c.85% and related businesses by c.95%.